Mile Bush Ambush
Introduction from Chronology
The IRA, under Diarmuid Hurley, ambushes a cycle patrol of the BA’s
Cameron Highlanders at Mile Bush, near Midleton, Co
Cork.
More
Detail
There
were 11 Cameron Highlanders and one RIC man in the cycle patrol. They
were returning from Carrigtwohill when they were ambushed by a ten-strong party
of IRA men. There were no deaths or injuries or either side but the IRA
managed to get 11 rifles from the Camerons.
Along
with Hurley, the IRA men were Tadgh Manley, Joseph Ahern, M Desmond, David
Desmond, Jerry Aherne, Michael Hallahan, Tom Hourihan,
M Casey and M Barry. Tadgh Manley was subsequently arrested and sentenced
to a long period of penal servitude for his part in the ambush. Another
man (Cornelius Murray) who took no part in the ambush and was unconnected with
the IRA was arrested and sentenced for taking part in the ambush but he was
released after a few months.
Detailed
description of this ambush in Sheehan
(2017), pgs 118-119. He says that it was the “last of
these non-lethal attacks”.